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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about The Willows (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for The Willows. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

The Willows is located in Cook County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cook County: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lake (IN) & Berrien (MI).

Below are the counties that are near The Willows. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to The Willows:

  • Cook County     (The home county of The Willows)
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Covenant Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Covenant Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covenant Village
    • Techny
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Glenview
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • The Grove
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • The Grove is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Grove
    • Northbrook
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Colonial Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Colonial Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Northfield
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Golf
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Glencoe
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Morton Grove
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Des Plaines
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Prospect Heights
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • DuPage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Bensenville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Wood Dale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Itasca
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Medinah
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Elmhurst
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Addison
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Roselle
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • South Elmhurst
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
    • Bloomingdale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Villa Park
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Villa Park is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Park
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,291 people
    • Glendale Heights
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Keeneyville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Keeneyville is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keeneyville
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • East Dundee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Carpentersville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Elgin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Coleman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • Sleepy Hollow
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • South Elgin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • South Elgin is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,646 people
    • West Dundee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Gilberts
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Saint Charles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Geneva
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Freeman
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Freeman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
    • Batavia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Deerfield
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Braeside
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Braeside is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braeside
    • Ravinia
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Ravinia is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
    • Riverwoods
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Bannockburn
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Highland Park
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Highwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Aptakisic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
    • Buffalo Grove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Lincolnshire
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Prairie View
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Prairie View is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie View
    • Lake Forest
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • McHenry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Fox River Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Island Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Island Lake is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,951 people
    • Oakwood Hills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Oakwood Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,011 people
    • Cary
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Cary is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,929 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cary <1>
    • Trout Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Trout Valley is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trout Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 508 people
    • Algonquin
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Barreville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Barreville is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barreville
    • Holiday Hills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Holiday Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 574 people
    • Lakemoor
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake-in-the-Hills
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Prairie Grove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Prairie Grove is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,920 people
    • Crystal Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Will County
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Winston Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Colonial Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Kenosha County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.
    • Fossland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Fossland is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fossland
    • Pleasant Prairie
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Pleasant Prairie is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Prairie
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,373 people
    • Benet Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Benet Lake is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benet Lake
    • Lake Shangrila
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Lake Shangrila is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shangrila

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to The Willows, see our County-by-County Page for The Willows.

Cemeteries Near The Willows ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of The Willows.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for The Willows - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for The Willows covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.

  • Sunset Memorial Lawns
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Ridgewood Memorial Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgewood Memorial Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ridgewood Memorial Park is a very large cemetery that is located in Glenview.
    • The Ridgewood Memorial Park has also been known as:
    • Ridgewood Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107685 <2>
  • Northfield Union Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Northfield Oakwood Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northfield Oakwood Cemetery
    • The Northfield Oakwood Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Oak Wood Cemetery
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • All Saints Catholic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • North Northfield Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Maryhill Catholic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maryhill Catholic Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Maryhill Catholic Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Niles.
    • The Maryhill Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Mary Hill Cemetery
    • Maryhill Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #106764 <2>
  • St. Matthews Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (296 more) ...
    • Beth Jacob Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Dewes Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Deerfield Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>

While we didn't find The Willows in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of The Willows.

These communities are listed based on their distance from The Willows, with the one closest to The Willows listed first.

  • The Grove
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • The Grove is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Grove
  • Shermerville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Shermerville is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shermerville
  • Ridgeland
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Ridgeland is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeland
  • North Northfield
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • North Northfield is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Northfield
  • Des Plaines
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Morton Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Glencoe
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Wheeling
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Deerfield
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Mount Prospect
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Niles
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Lakeview
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Lakeview is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeview
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Ravinia
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Ravinia is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
    • Park Ridge
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Wilmette
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around The Willows. See our List of 1890's Communities around The Willows.

Newspapers Published in The Willows ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around The Willows.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of The Willows, there are papers which were published within 4 miles [6.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for The Willows.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to The Willows:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about The Willows, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- The Willows) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.